SUNY continuity plan
The SUNY system has approved a spring 2021 academic continuity plan for SUNY New Paltz. The approved plan can be reviewed at www.newpaltz.edu/newpaltzforward/.
The college’s approach in spring 2021 will be similar to its fall plan to offer a mix of in-person, hybrid and fully online courses (three-quarters remote and on-quarter seated or hybrid).
All students must complete a seven-day precautionary quarantine prior to any in-person presence on campus. Residence halls will open on January 17.
The spring semester will begin as scheduled on January 19. Nearly all course delivery will take place remotely prior to February 1. Courses scheduled as seated or hybrid courses will begin in-person instruction on February 1.
SUNY has approved a limited list of New Paltz courses that will begin in-person instruction on January 25, after meeting remotely the week before.
Students, faculty and staff who will have an on-campus presence will be required to complete daily health screenings two weeks prior to their first on-campus presence and report symptoms, exposures or travel as designated by SUNY policy.
The daily screening has been revised for spring to capture information regarding travel to non-contiguous states and an attestation that such travel results in the required quarantine. Also, at the end of the two-week period, a health screening will require an attestation that students have completed a precautionary seven-day quarantine.
SUNY is requiring students, faculty and staff to produce a negative Covid-19 test result taken within three days prior to their presence on campus, or to be tested within five days after coming to campus for the first time. This applies to anyone who plans to live, work or take classes on campus, or to use campus facilities such as the gym, library or dining hall.
The college will offer daily (Monday-Friday) on-campus Covid-19 testing from January 19 through February 4. Anyone who chooses to submit test results from an off-campus facility must do so within five days of arrival on campus.
To discourage travel, SUNY has mandated that spring break be cancelled and days off during the semester must fall on midweek days. New Paltz will end the semester two days earlier and has scheduled three individual “Mind, Body, Spirit” days on Tuesday, February 23, Wednesday, March 24 and Thursday, April 15.
Commencement exercises ordinarily occurring at or near the close of spring 2021 semester will be considered in accordance with state guidance. Campuses should begin to plan and message virtual commencements and/or safely distanced methods of recognition and degree dissemination for their graduates. New Paltz plans will be contingent on state health department guidance at the time of commencement.
The in-person population will be subject to mandatory Covid-19 surveillance testing, with options for on-campus tests or results from off-campus facilities.
The college will be prepared with a plan to temporarily Pause and Pivot to fully remote instruction if so directed.
Saugerties candidates sought
The Saugerties Democratic Committee is looking for interested individuals to consider running for public office in the November 2021 election. The positions on the ballot will include three county legislators — District 1, Blue Mountain, District 2, the village and Malden and District 3, Glasco and the northern part of the Town of Ulster. In the Town of Saugerties, the ballot will include the supervisor, two town board seats, the highway superintendent, the town clerk and tax collector.
If you wish to entertain the possibility of running, please e-mail saugertiesdemocraticcommittee@email.com, or write to the SDC, P.O. Box 511, Saugerties, NY 12477. Please send a resume or statement about you background and reasons for seeking election to public office. The petitioning process begins in just over two months.
Two arrested in shooting death of 12-year-old Kingston girl
Two Kingston men have been arrested in death of a 12-year-old Kingston girl last week.
The New York State Police announced the arrests of Gilbert Thomas, 24, and Robert James, 46, both of Kingston, for second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and first-degree criminal use of a firearm.
According to police, on the evening of Thursday, December 17, Thomas and James were involved in a shooting into the residence at 60 Van Buren Street in the City of Kingston that ultimately caused the death of 12-year old D’Janeira Mason.
The State Police were assisted in the investigation by the City of Kingston Police Department, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office and the Town of Ulster Police Department.
The case remains under investigation, any persons with information are asked to contact the State Police at (845) 338-1702. All calls will be kept confidential.
Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan released the following statement:
As we continue to grieve and mourn, we must at the same time ensure swift and sure justice for this heinous crime. Today’s announcement of an arrest made in connection to this tragedy is welcome news, and I want to thank District Attorney Dave Clegg, the New York State Police, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department, the City of Kingston Police Department, and the Town of Ulster Police Department for their work leading to this swift arrest. As a community, let us summon the collective will to stop this cycle of violence. We must do better.
Perfect Pitch, a New Year’s day spoken word/performance extravaganza
Perfect Pitch, the Hudson Valley New Year’s day spoken word/performance extravaganza will be broadcast on January 1 from 2 to 8 p.m. at https://youtu.be/Ztll3EpRi2c. Perfect Pitch is produced by Bruce Weber. Now a full-time resident of the Hudson Valley, Weber was inspired to create the event by his exposure to talent in the region and the creative opportunities that are arising in the vicinity of Kingston.
The performers were filmed by David Schell at Green Kill in Kingston during the course of this autumn. Among the performers are: Abby Travis, Paul McMahon, Andy Clausen, Pamela Twining. Michael Bisio, Josepha Gutelius, Sam Truitt, Suzanne Bennet, Sparrow, Phillip Levine, Sylvie Degiez, Wayne Lopes, Karen Whitman, Rick Pantell, Anne Gorick and Mikhail Horowitz.
A listing of performers with their scheduled times for the January 1 live stream is available at https://greenkill.substack.com/p/green-kill-live-stream-january-1.
Day of remembrance
The Saugerties VFW Post 5034 sponsored a fundraiser for the annual Wreaths Across America campaign on December 19. The purpose of this fundraiser is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach children the value of freedom by placing wreaths on the gravesites of those who served in the armed services of this country.
“Covid-19 made some changes necessary for this year, but we continued our participation,” said Bob Howe of the Saugerties VFW 5034. On Saturday, December 19, 17 people from Saugerties travelled to the Saratoga National Cemetery and helped place the wreaths on the gravestones in 30 inches of snow and 17-degree weather. “We would like to thank the Town of Saugerties and all who donated to this beautiful cause,” said Howe.
After placing the wreaths, volunteers went to the American Legion Hall for a free luncheon. A similar ceremony took place at the New Paltz Rural Cemetery.
Beethoven comes to Rosendale
In Rosendale Theatre’s recent virtual offering of the new documentary, Concerto: A Beethoven Journey, award-winning director Phil Grabsky follows concert pianist Leif Ove Andsnes as he travels the world playing sell-out concerts with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in an attempt to understand and interpret Beethoven’s five piano concertos.
Leif Ove Andsnes offers an insight into the world of a pianist against the backdrop of Leif Ove and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra playing these five pieces. To view the documentary, visit www.rosendaletheatre.org. The cost is $12.
YWCA gets million-dollar grant
Philanthropist and novelist MacKenzie Scott has made news in recent weeks by giving away $6 billion, mostly to small non-profits hit hard by the pandemic. YWCA Ulster County is among the beneficiaries.
“We are honored to receive this game-changing gift,” said YWCA executive director Susan Mack. “This will enable us to move in new directions to support our community. YWCA Ulster County is now seeking people with talent and vision to help guide our direction in 2021 and beyond. We want to hear the voices of our community in all its diversity and richness. We are looking for people who know what is happening and people who know how to make things happen as we move toward our 100th year of service.” Anyone interested in joining the non-profit is invited to contact Mack at smack@ywcaulstercounty.org.
All told, Scott — whose $40-billion-plus fortune comes from shares of Amazon that she got after her divorce last year from Jeff Bezos, the company’s founder — had given more than $4 billion to 384 groups, including 59 other YWCA chapters. Scott’s donations are no-strings-attached. Organizations can spend the money as they see fit.
New Paltz Eve
New Paltz youth program director Jim Tinger and community education coordinator Phoenix Kawamoto are preparing for the seventh annual New Paltz Eve celebration on December 31 — the first virtual version, offering Web-based activities and performances on New Year’s Eve. A special-event page will be created and linked to the town Facebook page, and folks can simply click a registration link to receive Zoom info Events will include: “Loosening Up & Letting Go,” a beginner yoga class with Krista Pachomski at 10 a.m. Virtual scavenger hunt with Jim Tinger, all day. Crafting Kitchen Magic with Stacey Shaffer at 3 p.m. Story Magic for the New Year with Lorraine Hartin-Gelardi & Phoenix Rising at 4 p.m.
All attendees will be eligible to participate in a drawing to win a gift card for a free large cheese pizza from Rino’s Pizza in New Paltz.
Saugerties police reform
The Saugerties Police Reform and Reinvention Committee (SPRRC) will hold its first town hall via Zoom on Wednesday, January 6, at 6:30 p.m. The committee says it wants to hear from community members about their experiences with and opinions of the Saugerties Police Department.
The committee to provide an update on its work thus far to fulfill Governor Andrew Cuomo’s directive “to promote community engagement to foster trust, fairness and legitimacy and to address any racial bias and disproportionate policing of communities of color.”
For information about the town hall and to obtain the Zoom link, email SaugertiesPoliceReformReinvent@yahoo.com or call 328-1426. The committee continues to encourage the public to fill out its anonymous survey. The English survey link is bit.ly/SaugertiesSurvey, the Spanish survey link bit.ly/EncuestaDeSaugerties. If you live, work or visit Saugerties, SPRRC wants to hear from you. All are welcome.
Expanded senior meals
The next phase of Project Resilience will focus on supporting seniors through the expansion of temporary food assistance. The Ulster County Office for the Aging has an opportunity to feed over 1000 meals per week to seniors who had previously been on the waitlist due to a cap of state funding for senior meals. The Ulster County Office for the Aging has also received a donation to increase the number of meals that this program can deliver. Meal delivery for this program will run for at least twelve weeks.
“This additional funding, secured through Project Resilience, will allow us to feed our seniors who have been impacted by this pandemic,” said Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan.
“The Ulster County Office for Aging is honored and appreciative of two very generous donations earmarked for helping seniors,” Susan Koppenhaver, director of Office for the Aging, said. One was a grant from the Project Resilience fund at the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley for $120,000. The other was from anonymous donors who gave a New Paltz church a donation, with money set aside for seniors, in the amount of $50,000.
The next phase of Project Resilience will focus on supporting seniors and young people, addressing growing food insecurity by supporting the network of local food banks and building support systems for Ulster County families living paycheck to paycheck
Launched in March, Project Resilience started as a community fund and local food distribution efforts established to support residents impacted by Covid-19. Within 24 hours of its inception, County Executive Ryan secured over two million dollars in funding and announced partnerships with municipal governments, local businesses and not-for-profits. Since launching, Project Resilience has provided nearly 300,000 meals while supporting over 100 small businesses
Donations are accepted through United Way. For more information, visit https://covid19.ulstercountyny.gov/project-resilience/.
AG to investigate police pursuit that ended in death of 11-year-old girl
The New York Attorney General’s Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit has opened an investigation into the death of Monica Goods, who died December 22 after a vehicle she was a passenger in crashed and overturned while being pursued by state troopers on the Thruway in Ulster County.
In announcing the investigation, the AG cites Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order No. 147, which “confers upon the Attorney General exclusive authority to investigate and, if warranted, prosecute cases in which a law enforcement officer causes the death of an unarmed civilian, as well as cases in which the Attorney General has determined that there is a significant question as to whether the civilian was armed and dangerous at the time his or her death was caused.”
According to police, troopers attempted to stop the vehicle, a 2017 Dodge Journey, at approximately 11:40 p.m. on I-87 in the Town of Ulster for a vehicle and traffic violation. Shortly after the traffic stop was initiated, the driver fled the scene northbound and a pursuit ensued. Police said around mile marker 93.6, a collision occurred and the Dodge lost control and overturned, injuring driver Tristan G. Goods, 39, of Hollis, NY, and killing Monica Goods, 11, of Brooklyn. “The investigation is ongoing, and more information will be released as it becomes available,” reads a police press release.
Belleayre lodge damaged by avalanche
Belleayre Mountain Ski Center announced last Saturday that it would close its lodge until further notice after heavy rains Christmas morning caused snow to slide into it, causing “significant damage.”
The Shandaken resort said it had 6.5 inches of rain that day.
“Supersaturated snow from the Yahoo trail let loose and slid into the Overlook Lodge,” read a message posted to the ski center’s website.
Belleayre is open for skiing, though the lodge remains closed.
The Kiwanis Ice Arena is using UVC Ultraviolet Sterilization Light
The Kiwanis Ice Arena, located in the Cantine Veterans Sports Complex in Saugerties, has invested and is now utilizing UVC Ultraviolet Sterilization Light as an additional measure to ensure all patrons are afforded the cleanness, most sanitized and disinfected environment, along with the highest degree of sterilization.
According to Greg Chorvas, the superintendent of the Cantine Veterans Sports Complex, the GenEon Electrolyte Cleaner, Sanitizer and Disinfectant, deployed this past spring is still being utilized in-between sessions but has been practically eliminated during times when areas are not in use and when the facility is closed.
The UVC light is an additional health and safety measure. Units all have ozone enhancements, which ensures all areas are being properly treated and sterilized. The ozone enhancement is especially valuable in the public restrooms and lockers rooms, as it has the ability to “travel” around walls, divider stalls, etc., sterilizing all areas including fixtures, benches and other items from wall-to-wall and floor to ceiling.
This non-chemical approach eradicates bacteria, fungi, viruses, mold, mildew, etc. with an efficacy of 99.9%. “We want to reassure everyone utilizing our facility that measures and procedures have been instituted, and will continue, to ensure the healthiest, safest, cleanness, disinfected and sterilized environment,” said Chorvas.
As a reminder, for all sessions, pre-registration (sign-up) is mandatory, no exceptions. All fees must be paid at the time of registering via pay-pal. There is no exchange of money at the facility. The process can be done from any desktop, laptop, smart device, etc.
For further information, contact the ice arena at (845) 247-2590, ext.302 or kiwanisice@saugertiesny.gov.
Ulster DMV closed to public until January 7
Ulster County Clerk Nina Postupack has announced that the Department of Motor Vehicles will be closed to the public for health and safety reasons after an employee tested positive for Covid-19. This closure will begin immediately and is in effect until January 7.
“Our primary concern is for the health and safety of our employees and the public,” stated County Clerk Postupack. “This closure is mandated by the CDC and we will do everything possible to ensure a safe, socially responsible reopening. In-person services will be available again on January 7th and we encourage our residents to use online and mail options, as well as the drop-box until then.”
Residents can still complete transactions online or mail routine transactions to the Ulster County Clerk’s Office, P.O. Box 1800, Kingston, NY 12402. The Department of Motor Vehicles will have a drop-box outside the back-door of the County Office Building for plate surrenders and registration renewals. License renewals will also be accepted in the drop-box and appointments can be scheduled online. For other transactions or frequently asked questions, please visit the New York State DMV website at https://dmv.ny.gov/.
For further information, please contact Ulster County Clerk Nina Postupack at countyclerk@co.ulster.ny.us. Updates are available and appointments can be scheduled at the County Clerk’s website clerk.ulstercountyny.gov. Updates will also be posted on the County Clerk’s Facebook page.
Film about Esopus Creek streaming for a limited time
Water Keeps Time, a documentary about the Esopus Creek directed by Katie Cokinos and Guy Reed, is available to view on the Shout Out Saugerties website (and below) through December 31, 2020.
About 30 minutes long, the film details the history and ecology of the lower portion of the creek, with a focus on Saugerties, where the Esopus meets the Hudson. Sweeping overhead shots of the creek and surrounding woodlands, as well as historic postcards and paintings, help illustrate interviews with a dozen or so local historians, artists, naturalists, and others whose lives and work have brought them into contact with and contemplation of the creek.
Join the family! 
